3 players the Mets should sign to bolster their minor league infield depth

As the New York Mets gear up for the start of spring training next week, there are still several free agents available that can help the Mets bolster their infield depth in the minor leagues.

The Mets are still in need of some veteran minor league depth despite signing Jose Peraza to a minor league deal with a spring training invite, so here are three more players the Mets could use to strengthen their depth charts in 2023.

New York Mets free agent target 1: Luke Voit

The Mets only have two natural first baseman on their roster with Pete Alonso and Darin Ruf, the latter of whom made six starts at first base while Alonso served as designated hitter. Dom Smith isn’t walking through the door this season either, as the Mets cut him due to his poor performance at the plate last year and signed with Washington.

The Mets also don’t have any major league ready first base depth in the minors either, and Voit signing on with the Mets on a minor league contract would make sense for the Mets. Voit is just three years removed from being the major league home run leader for what was a pandemic-shortened season in 2020, and can still offer tremendous power. He hit 22 home runs last year between the Padres and the Nationals (was part of the return package to Washington for Juan Soto), but struck out 179 times in 500 at-bats, hampering his value.

Nonetheless, Alonso’s power is an integral part of the team’s successes over the last four years, but with unknowns about Darin Ruf, it would behoove the Mets to beef up a such an integral position for team success in 2023, and Voit can help them out there.

New York Mets free agent target 2: Dee Strange-Gordon

One can never acquire too much speed on their roster, and even at age 35, Dee Strange-Gordon can still provide it, even in a limited capacity. Gordon led the majors in stolen bases three times in his career, and he had 58 or more stolen bases in each of those three. But even in his brief stint with the Nationals last year, he still had a much above average sprint speed, ranking in the 78th percentile in that department last year.

Strange-Gordon is also a good contact hitter and can hit to all fields, and he doesn’t need to hit home runs to be successful, especially with the shift ban becoming an issue for opposing defenses. He hit .305 in 59 at-bats last year, with half of his 18 hits going for infield hits. He would be excellent in pinch-hitting appearances coming off the bench.

Strange-Gordon also can wear his heart on his sleeve as well and provide more leadership. We all saw him hit that home run against the Mets the day after the shocking death of Jose Fernandez and can also play the outfield as we saw during his stint with Seattle. The Mets’ best contact hitter is their starting second baseman, so if the Mets are ever down Jeff McNeil, they could use Strange-Gordon’s bat to put runners on base and a stolen base threat.